Diageo's approach to responsible drinking

Drinking alcohol has been part of the social and cultural life of communities throughout the world for centuries. It brings benefits to our societies and economies, and is enjoyed and embraced as part of a balanced lifestyle by millions of people.

As the world’s leading premium drinks company, Diageo is proud of our heritage, our brands, and the positive role which alcohol plays in social occasions and celebrations every day across the Globe.

But we know that some people – albeit a minority - drink too much, and can cause harm to themselves, to others, and to their communities. The social consequences of alcohol misuse are of course a matter of significant concern to a responsible company like ours. They damage our reputation, the reputation of our brands, our license to operate, and more importantly, our communities and our consumers. In short, alcohol misuse is bad for business. For these reasons we want to play an active part in tackling alcohol misuse.

Changing attitudes and behaviour on the scale required will take time, and requires the commitment of multiple stakeholders. Individual drinkers and their families and friends; teachers, doctors, employers and colleagues; NGOs; governments and law enforcers; and of course everyone who makes, markets and sells alcohol all have a role to play.

The six minute video below shows Carolyn Panzer, Diageo's corporate social responsibility director, talking about Diageo supported programmes developed to help prevent alcohol misuse around the world.